i can't for the life of me find a good pattern. i've found one or two similiar, but none of the bodices have the ruching at the bust that i like. it's such a simple dress, but i'm horrible without patterns. i have this awesome purple polka dotted fabric, too.

my poor date, his mom wanted his vest to match my dress so he asked for a bit of the fabric. so now i HAVE to make the dress, or his vest won't match at all.

well if your heart is not set completely on a pattern, i'd say this type of ruching is not the hardest thing to do without one. i did it on a dress a while ago.. i basically just cut out a rectange that fit over my chest, but a little wider, and tied a strip of fabric around the middle. then arranged the folds until they looked pretty, then sewed the strip on, hemmed the top, and sewed another rectangle underneath where a somewhat triangular gap had appeared under where the material was gathered. then cut off the excess material (since you really only need a triangle), dart it so the underarms fit right and sew on the other parts of the shirt. i basically winged it using myself as a dressform and it worked pretty well, methinks. good luck with your dress too, the design looks very pretty.

Wow. You guys are all so talented, and you all look amazing! I wish I had had the confidence and creative flair to make a gorgeous dress for my prom! This almost makes me nostalgic for high school...almost...

hmm i dont know how to actually make the pattern for that..but it seems that McCalls M4444, has a tighter fit on the bodice then the simplicity one...you might be able to just cut the pattern...and seam allowance to each edge...the sew it back together..if ur really looking for that style line

wow, i posted on here almost a year ago... and i'm posting again now.. who know this thread would last through two Westby Proms (the art majors fundraising prom). last year i used a burday pattern, this year, it's Butterick Retro '57, so that's Butterick B4512

hopefully i'll be able to finish the dress in the next two weeks... cross your fingers for me!

O_R_they, I'm reconning a skirt into a dress almost exactly like that one! Except mine is bright red with white polka dots ^_^ sorry, Idk really how to make it from scratch though...it shouldn't be too complicated as long as you find the right fabric.

I just got the fabric for mine today and I have started. The lady at the store was baffled by the idea of me not using a pattern I think that they are a waste of money in my scrappy little world and hardly benefit me because I always end up disregarding it in anyway possible I wanted my dress to be lime green shadowed in black but the lime green was too expensive. My next option of orange but it looked too halloween so now my dress is doomed to be very dark with purple and black but oh well at least it will be my own.